Control mechanism for clinching machines



April 18, 1933. PINK E M 1,903,989

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CLINCHING MACHINES Filed May 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 18, 1933. H. A. PINK ET AL 1,903,989

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CLINCHING MACHINES Filed May 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 18, 1933 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY a Fmx, on NEW YORK, 11.x, AND JOHN a scrmm'r, or cnrcaso, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS :TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A .CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK CONTROL MEC ANISM FOR cnmcnmo imcfiniss Application filed Kay 24, 1930. Serial No. 455,432.

.This invention relates to control mechanism for clinching machines and other machines of that type in which can ends, or other disk-like articles, are fed to can or other bodies for subsequent operations thereon. In clinching machines of this character, the can tops are usually contained in a stack and are fed from said stack to the can bodies one at .a. time, and occasionally the supply of can ends becomes exhausted and can bodies are fed throu h the machine without receiving can en 5, which condition interferes with subsequent operations on the cans, and onesof the objects of the invention is Ytoprovid'e automatically operatingmechanism for stopping the operation of the machine before the supply of can ends becomes exhausted.

Clinching machines of thi'scharacter are sometimes used in connection with a can closingmachine, such as vacuumizin and seaming machines, to which filled can odies, provided with can ends, are fed from the clinching machine for subsequent operations, and in'case a' filled can,-unprovided with acan end, is fed to the vacuumizing and seaming machine, it becomes necessary to immediately stop the clinchingmachine otherwise serious difficulty is encountered in the vacuumizing and seaming machine. One of the objects of the present invention is tof'providemeans under the control of thecan ends for stop ping the operation of the clinching machine when the supply of can ends becomes nearly exhausted without interfering with the operation of the vacuumizing and seaming ma. chine. v i

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set' forth and claimed. Y

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanyingthis specification in which Figure 1 is a plan of a fragment of a clinching machine of conventional form and illustrating a simple embodiment of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in said elevation and partly in vertical cross section of the control mechanism, the can end stack, and the clutch throwing mechanism of the machine;

7 is thrown to stop the Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly inside eleva-' tion and partly in vertical cross section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 4; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan of certainswitch mechanism and-operating mechanism therefor which forms part of the invention.

Referring to said drawings, which illus trate the invention in connection with a clinching machine of the type shown and described in my co-pending application on automatic control mechanism for can machinery,

filed Ma 24, 1930, Serial No. 455,431, to which re erence is'hereina-fter made, the ref erence character A designates a fragment of the clinching machine through which the cans and the can ends are conveyed to'and through the clinching mechanism. The clinching machine is provided with a cage a for receiving a stack of can ends a and a feed bar 5 is provided for ejecting the lowermost can end from thestack and moving it to other mecha nism (not shown) which conveys the can ends to the can bodies for subsequent operation. 7

The clinchin machineis providedwith a clutch lever 6 w ich is arranged to throw the clutch (not shown) which connects the operating mechanism of the clinching machine with the power element, and said clutch lever is thrown'by clutch mechanism (see Fig. 2) which comprises a pneumatic cylinder 25 in which is contained a plunger, the stem 23 of which is operatively connected to the clutch lever 6. The cylinder 25 is provided with a suitable valve and valve actuating mechanism for controlling the admission of compressed fluid to said cylinder or in case a vacuum cylinder is employed for establishing communication with the vacuum supply, and said valve mechanism is actuated by a solenoid 27, as will appear more fully by reference to the above identified application. Briefly, whenever the solenoidis energized, the (valve actuating mechanism is operated'to establish communication between the interior of the cylinder and the source of vacuum or pneumatic pressure,'and, as a result, the clutch throwing lever 6 is actuated and the clutch operation of the clinchingflmiachine' V e control mechanism comprises in general an electric switch 94 which is contained switch contains an inclined mercury tube 90' supported by an oscillatory bracket 49 in the circuit for the solenoid 27 and is actuated to close the circuit whenever the supply of can ends is nearly exhausted. In the simple form of control mechanism f shown, the

mounted upon a short shaft 52 j ournal ed in a wallof-the casing of the switch. A body of mercury is contained in the mercury tube normally out of contact'with the terminals of the electric conductors 57 which are contained in the circuit'for thesolenoid 27 It will be understood that by tilting the "mercury tube 90 into a reversely inclined position, the mercury will fiowto the lower end of the tube and close the gap between the terminals of the conductors, thereby closing the circuit to the solenoid 27. v w p I The mechanism for actuating the switch comprises an arm 7 on the outer end of'the' shaft 52 and a push rod or finger 8 connected to said arm 7and having a head 9'on one end arranged to engage with the edges of one or more can endsu'. The end of the push rod 8 which bears the head 9 is slidably supported I in a bracket 10 having a vertically extending guideway in which thehead 9 is guided. The connection between the push rod 8 and arm 7 is shownto comprise an angle plate 11 secured to the arm 7 and having a slot or aper ture through which the push rod 8 extends.

. Pins 12 extending throughthe push rod on .the, head9 is exhausted, ther-ebytilting the.

mercury tube 90 into a reversely' inclined positionand closing. the circuitfor the solenoid 27 of the clutch throwing mechanism.;j

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, a second mercury tube 90 is'shown, and this mercury tube is included in another circuit for the I solenoid 27 which is controlled from switch mechanism associated with the vacuumizing and seamingmachine with which aclinching machine is frequently employed. J j i In the operation of he control mechanism, the circuit for the solenoid is normally open at the mercury tube 90 and as'long as any can ends remain in front of the head .9 of

the push rod 8, the circuit remains open. 1 In case the supply of can endsin the stack becomes 'nearlyexhausted and a condition arises in which no can end is in positionto hold back the head 9, thecounterweighted I arm 14 swings the arm 7 f towards the can ends, thereby tilting the mercury tubes into a reversely inclined position and causing the mercury in the tube 90 to make contact between the terminals of the conductors 57 ,thus closing the circuit to the solenoid 27, which being energized, opens the inlet port to the 7 cylinder 25, whereupon the cylinder is placed in communication withthe' pressure or vacuum supply, and, as a result, {the clutch lever 6 is actuated, thereby throwing'the-clutch and stopping the operation of thefmachine. From the'abov-e'it' willbe seen that in case the supply of-canrends becomes low, the

machine is stopped, therebypreventing cans from. being fed to the clinching vmechanism without having can ends-supplied thereto; 7

To restore the-parts to normal position,.the push rod 8 is drawn backand asupplyof can ends placed in the cage a I 'We claimas new, anddesire to secure by Iletters Patentzj I. 1 V

l. 'A control mechanism for aican machine comprising a clutch throwing mechanism in cluding a magnetic device, atiltable bracket,

an electric switch mounted thereon and adapted to close .the'circuit for the electric magnetic device when said bracket is tilted in one direction, meansattached to the bracket for moving the sameto a positionfor closing'the switch," a stack holder,.,aecontrol rod connected to said bracket, a; head carried by said rod and adapted to bear against theican ends in the stack holder, which can ends restrain theimovement of the rod and thetilting of the bracket whereby when said can ends give out, the rod will move and permitthe tiltingv of the bracket-to stop the machine. 2. 'A control mechanism for a canmachine comprising a clutch throwing mechanism in eluding a magnetic device, a tiltable bracket,

,ed to close the circuitforthe electric magnetic device when said bracket is tilted in one direction, a Weightedarm attachedto the Li bracket for. moving the same to a position for clos'ingthe switch,a stack holder, a control rod connected to said bracket, a head carried by said rod and. adapted to bear against the can ends in the stack-holder,

which can ends restrain the movement of the rodand the tilting of thebracket whereby whensaid can ends give out, the rod will move and permit the tilting of the bracket to stop the machine. a 3 1 In testimony whereof,.weafiix our signatures.

HENRY A. FINK.

JOHN E. SCHMIDTQQ an electric switch mountedithereon'and adapt-* V aao 

